1. I loved reading your book, Ruthie. It’s frightening and terrifying! Where did you get the idea for this story?
I get most of my best ideas as I drift off to sleep at night. I have tons of stories that I flesh out as I lie in bed (probably why I don’t sleep well). I just haven’t gotten them all written yet! Ruthie was born of my frustration with reading news stories of children who are, time and time again, let down by the “systems” in the U.S. If the Department of Family and Children’s Services don’t do their due diligence with abusive parents, visit homes over ten times and note issues but leave that child there or continually return children to parents who are unfit (which has become more common place), if teachers do not report signs of abuse, pediatricians don’t notice the signs they should, neighbors don’t want to get involved, then the child often ends up dead or severely injured. If the people we put in as a line of defense to protect children don’t all do what they are legally required to do, then that line of defense has failed and the child suffers. I thought to myself, what if one of those children came back? What if she exacted revenge on those who had let her down?
Ghandi said, “The measure of a society is how it treats its weakest members.”
2. What age group is this story appropriate for?
I didn’t write this story for children specifically. I simply wrote the story in my head with no particular age group in mind.
3. Do you have concerns about younger kids reading it?
I think the blood and gore in it may not be appropriate for some younger children. But I think the themes of friendship and acceptance are important and relatable. I think each parent would need to decide for themselves at what age their child can read this book. I was reading Stephen King before age 12 and think my almost 11-year-old niece would be fine reading it. It really depends on the child.
4. I noticed that this story includes serious topics. Do you feel this may not be appropriate for readers who are the same age as your young group of friends?
Again, it all depends on the child and what their parents feel is appropriate, taking into account the child’s maturity and reading comprehension.
5. How can parents handle the situation of kids reading about stories with these topics in books?
Kids are more observant than we give them credit for and I feel like nurturing an understanding of how we should treat others and how adults should treat children is an important step in building a society that looks out for one another.
6. Let’s get back to the story. It’s hard to tell if Ruthie is a ghost or a zombie. It seems like a little bit of both. Was this what you were trying to go for when you wrote scenes of her being this supernatural “thing” in the story?
I never wanted to tell the reader “what” Ruthie was. It was my intention to leave that up to the reader to decide. I never came out and said it. Her friends didn’t know either. As the story progressed you could see the deterioration of Ruthie’s body, mind and a little of her humanity. Was she dangerous? Was she going to turn on the boys?
7. Ruthie tells the group of boys that she is there to do something she feels she has to do. Is it possible that Laura was behind making this happen?
Laura was drawn to Ruthie. If you recall, Laura was already “around” Joe all along. She definitely had influence.
8. Do you think coming back to life for revenge is a good message in this story?
The messages in the story are much deeper than that. There are messages of acceptance (the boys accepting Ruthie regardless of her appearance), of friendship, loyalty, and the sacred duty we have as a society to protect the weakest among. Those are the main messages.
9. The hardest part about reading this story was knowing that a child was murdered. Do you feel you portrayed Ruthie’s relationships with her living friends in a positive way to make the situation easier for kids to accept?
The element of friendship and acceptance in general is a large part of the story for any age group.
10. Do you think that kids are a little more open-minded in accepting the “dead friend” aspect than adults?
Absolutely. Children are more open to the supernatural in general. A kid is a kid to them.
11. Where can we find some of your work online?
I have another book titled The White Ball which can also be found on Amazon and KU. It is an occult suspense novel that also speaks to the power of friendship, acceptance of others who are different than us (witches) and fighting back against the forces of evil who target children.
12. What other books can we expect to see from you in the future?
I am currently working on a book titled “It Does Not Wish You Well” in which the MC’s are teens. It’s a creature/ghost story.
ABOUT ANGIE:
Angie Gibson lives in Northwest Georgia with her son, a dog named Stella, and two furry familiars named Hemingway and The Tookus. She likes to spend time with family, reading, watching true crime shows, thrift shop hunting, and dabbling in different kinds of art mediums. She works a full-time job during the day and is a writer by night. She believes in UFOs, ghosts, Sasquatch and lots of cryptids. Therefore, her mind is always swirling with ideas for books. She spends much of her time chasing those ideas around and trying to land them on pages.
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